Dashboard Update coming in November

By now most users know that the “Fall Update” will feature a major overhaul to the Xbox 360 dashboard, as was previously announced at E3. We have been finally able to confirm that the update will be released in November, but the exact date has yet to be decided.

In preparation for the update, Microsoft will be doing some upgrades and maintenance on the Xbox Live service starting on September 29th and this maintenance window will last for 24 hours. Of course, don’t expect see the update before November.

The “New Xbox Experience” update will feature 3D avatars that were designed by Rare as well as a new group chat mode that will support up to 8 people in a chat at a time, and perhaps the biggest news is the Xbox Live Primetime which is a new service that will allow users to star in their own game shows. Several new community oriented features will also be introduced, but details are a bit sketchy on what these might include.

A new ad that is appearing on Xbox Live is inviting users to get a peek at what the new Xbox Experience will look like. Still, even with all of the excitement surrounding the announcement of the new dashboard, many users are already speaking out, saying that they like the current “blade system dashboard” and they are not really at all impressed by or interested in the features that the new “Xbox Experience” dashboard update will bring to the table.

While Microsoft has not been specific, they do suggest that users who like the current dashboard system will still be able to use a version of it with their Xbox 360 and they do not have to use the new “Xbox Experience” dashboard once the update is deployed.

From what we can tell it is all a matter of preference and what you like. While some may find the social networking abilities and 3D avatars a little too much, others, on the other hand, may flock to these new features as welcomed editions to the Xbox 360 user experience.

It really remains to be seen how much the new dashboard update impacts the Xbox 360 user community and how vocal those are that don’t like it. We predict, however, that the majority of the users will adapt to the new dashboard and the current dashboard will just be another footnote in gaming history.